‘DAE-BRNS Senior Scientists Scheme’ instituted in the year 2000 and renamed as “Raja Rammana Fellowship Scheme” in the year 2005, is intended to utilize the services of active retired scientists/engineers and technologists, who have been involved in high quality research in their specialized disciplines in the units of the DAE or any National Laboratory or University/Institute and who after retirement are keen to carry out R&D in the field of their choice and of interest to the DAE. The host institute of the DAE-BRNS Senior Scientist may be a unit of DAE (including aided institutions) or a University/ Institute or a National Laboratory in India.
The salient features of the Scheme
(A) Objectives
(1) To carry out research and development in the field of their choice and of interest to DAE, with a view to strengthen its programmes or to nucleate programmes of interest to DAE in non-DAE Units. Additionally he/she could take up writing of monographs or books on topics related to Atomic Energy and pursue human resource development including delivering lectures to students.
(2) To carry out studies on policy issues in the nuclear arena with the objective of providing to the Government detailed analysis including feedback obtained based on informal discussions with experts at the national and international level.
(B) Host Institute
Raja Ramanna Fellows working for the first objective may work in a unit of DAE (including aided institutions) or in a National Laboratory or in a University or Institute in India.
Raja Ramanna Fellows working for the second objective will essentially work from their residence. Strategic Planning Group (SPG) of the DAE will be their host institution.
(C) Eligibility
(I) For the first objective, scientists, engineers & technologists retired from units of DA including Aided Institutions are eligible. Preference will be given to those who were involved in the development of sensitive and/or critical technologies in the units of the DAE or are fellows of any of the major science or engineering academies. Scientists, engineers & technologists of high caliber retired from non-DAE institutions can also be considered, provided their area of research is related to the programmes of the DAE and preference wilt be given to those who are fellows of any of the major science or engineering academies.
(ii) For the second objective, scientists, engineers & technologists retired from units of DAE including Aided Institutions are eligible. Preference will be given to those who were involved in the development of sensitive and/or critical technologies or have expertise in the analysis of issues related to nuclear policies.
(D) Tenure
The tenure of the individual selected as Raja Ramanna Fellow would initially be up to a period of three years, extendable for another two years subject to review of the work undertaken in the first three years. This is subject to the age limit of 70 years for holding the fellowship/award. While normally, the tenure would not exceed 5 years, in exceptional cases, Distinguished Fellows pursuing the second objective can be considered for an additional tenure even beyond 70 years of age to be decided on case by case basis.
(E) Nominations
The Head of the Host Institute interested in utilizing the services of the senior scientist may send nomination papers to the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission AEC. Applications will normally be reviewed twice a year (around l5 March and 15th September) but the review may be carried out at other times also in special cases. The nomination papers should give the following information: -
1. Name
2. . Designation (at the time of retirement)
3. Date of retirement
4. Full Official address
5. Date of birth
6. Highest degree
7. Field of specialization
8. Professional experience during the last 10 years of service
9. List of honours and awards with dates (including fellowships of the academies)
10. List of publications during the last 10 years
11. Write up on the programme with which the senior scientist will be attached as Raja Ramanna Fellow
12. Facilities proposed (research, office space, residential, any other) provided by the host institute to the scientist if selected.
(F) Announcement
The names of scientists selected for this scheme shall normally be announced in April and October every year, however, announcements in special cases will also be made, subject to review as described above.
(G) Validity Of Offer
The offer of positions under the Raja Ramanna Fellowship scheme will be valid for one year from the date of issue of the offer or from the date of retirement whichever is later, and if the Scientist does not join within a year or accepts any other fellowship or assignment, or employment, the award will be deemed to have been withdrawn. No lien will be allowed. The Scientist can apply again, if he wishes to pursue activities as Raja Ramanna Fellow at a later stage.
(H) Honorarium
(i )The Award is proposed to consists of the following remuneration:
Honorarium Rs.40,000/- per month Honorarium to be paid to the Scientist should be such that Rs.40,000 + pension (plus Dearness Pension, if any) + Relief on pension does not exceed the Basic Pay + Dearness Pay + CCA drawn at the time of retirement including Notional Dearness Allowance at the time of fixing the Honorarium. The honorarium of Rs.40,000/- p.m. will have to be reduced wherever necessary. The honorarium will be taxable at source.
Research Support Grant for Fellows working on the first objective : Rs.3,00,000/- p.a.
The above amount is to be used for travel, communication, internet services, part-time services of office
assistants, Stationery and fellowship payable to Research staff [One JRF or SRF or RA] as the case may be.
Rate of Fellowship payable to JRF/SRF/RA shall be in accordance with the rates fixed by DAE from time to time.
Support Grant for Fellows working on the second objective: Rs.1,00,000/- p.a. in the first year and Rs.50,000/- in the subsequent years. Break-up of the above amount will be as under: (i)Lump sum grant of Rs.50,000/-- payable during the 1 year for procurement of Laptop /Computer/Desktop as the case may be.
(ii) Lump sum grant of Rs.25,000/- per annum on telephone with broadband connection;
(iii) Lump sum grant of Rs. Rs.25,000/- per annum for computer peripherals, consumables and stationery.
(iv) In addition, the Fellows can approach various funding agencies for sanction of a research scheme with fellowship for research staff and other grants. The Fellows at Non-DAE units can approach Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences BRNS as well.
(v) The Laptop / Computer/ Desktop procured by the Fellows working on the second objective will have to be returned to DAE on expiry of the fellowship. However, in case a Fellow wishes to retain the Laptop / Computer / Desktop, he may do so on payment of book value of Laptop/Computer/Desktop. For the purpose of calculation of book value, a depreciation of 15% per year shall be adopted. Thus, an officer who has had a term of five years will be required to pay 25% of original cost of the computer at the time of handing over charge at the end of the term deducting depreciation of 75%.
(I) Travel Allowance
An awardee and his/her spouse would be entitled to air fare or rail fare by a class as per his/ her eligibility, based on the last pay drawn by the awardee, from the current place of work / residence to the host institution. Travel expenses would be similarly permissible on the Awardees return to residence / place of work at the end of the tenure of the Fellow.
Fellows working with SPG on second objective will be provided with TA and DA as per their entitlement whenever they are invited/sponsored for participation in any seminar / symposium /workshop /discussion. This will be reimbursed as per actual, subject to an overall ceiling of Rs.2,00000/- per annum.
(J) LTC
The awardee would also be entitled to avail of leave travel concession for travel to any pike in India on leave once in two years, if the award is for a period exceeding two years. This facility would be available to the awardee and his I her spouse and would be subject to change in accordance with the changes made by the Government of India in respect of leave travel concession rules.
(K) Leave Rules
The Fellows working on the first objective would be entitled to 30 days leave in a year with honorarium whether in India or abroad. The period spent by the Fellows in seminars etc. or in pursuing some collaborative research in an institution other than the host institution will be treated as on duty provided it has approval of the sponsoring authority in the host institution.
The Fellows working on the second objective can work from their residence or anywhere else as they deem fit. In case they want to leave their residence for extended duration (more than a fortnight) and will not be available for discussions, they should inform SPG about it. If the absence is likely to be such that they cannot pursue their studies, they should apply for leave of absence. Maximum leave in a year can be 30 days. Leave more than 30 days will be without any remuneration.
However, in case the RRF is going abroad on an exchange programme, he would be entitled to “Sabbatical Leave’ with full pay. This would be decided on a case by case basis and would not normally exceed six months during the entire tenure. Relaxation, if any, required would rest with Chairman, AEC.
(L) Annual Progress Report and Renewal of Scheme
The Raja Ramanna Fellow will submit an annual progress report to Chairman, AEC on the research work at the end of each calendar year along with a statement of Expenditure for renewal and release of grant for the next year. The progress report will be reviewed after two-and-a-half years, so that the decision to extend the tenure can be taken in time. The review will be taken by a mechanism suggested by the RRF selection committee.
(M) Final Technical Report
The Raja Ramanna Fellow will be required to submit a consolidated technical report for the entire duration of the award at the end of the tenure. The report must be detailed and should include information about (a) the original objective(s) of the award, (b) how far these objectives have been achieved, and (C) how the results have benefited the programmes of the DAE. The actual research achievements made under the scheme may be summarized in about 200 words and mentioned in the Final Technical Report. Copies of manuscripts, preprints and reprints of papers arising from the work completed under the scheme should be attached to the Final Technical Report, and submitted to Chairman, AEC.
(N) Interaction with other Agencies
A Raja Ramanna Fellow will be allowed to take up sponsored Research and Consultancy (without any personal financial remuneration) within the norms of the host institute.
(O) Obligations
The Host Institute, if other than SPG, shall submit the audited statement of accounts and utilization certificate to US/OSO(R&D), DAE every year, Fellows working for SPG will be paid directly by the DAE. The award will stand terminated from the date the Raja Ramanna Fellow accepts any paid position elsewhere.
Acknowledgement of support in all publications as “Raja Ramanna Fellow” should be made.
Final adjustment / settlement of accounts by the Host institution, if other than SPG, should be done within a period of 30 days of the termination of the award.
All patents, rights, designs and inventions derived from the research work of the Raja Rarnanna Fellowship shall be governed by the norms of the host institution.
(P) Dispute Settlement in the event of any dispute arising out of the interpretation or the implementation of this award, the decision of the Department of Atomic Energy shall be final. less